Indoor Cycling

Indoor cycling is ideal for runners who can’t get their normal workout in either because of injury, because they simply want to try something new or perhaps because they’re traveling away from home. If you’re on the road, for example, almost every hotel gym has some form of exercise bike and any bike will do.

Cycling is a perfect example of high-intensity replacement cross-training, which is just as it sounds — a replacement workout for running. “If you’re approaching cross-training because you have an injury, the goal is to maintain or improve your aerobic fitness because running is not an option. Don’t be disheartened, there are plenty of ways to stay fit that don’t involve running,” says McCrann.

Warm-up: 10 mins. of cycling, including two 30-sec. intervals at high intensity and effort

Main Set: 10 sets of 1 min. of hard cycling followed by 1 min. of easy/recovery cycling, for a total of 10 mins. of hard cycling and 10 mins. of recovery. Do the hard efforts at the max resistance and speed you can maintain. Spin with minimal resistance to recover.

My personal trainer always recommends cross training. I agree with him when he says that just lifting heavy weights doesn;t really get you fit for anything other than lifting weights. Cross training gets you fit for everything. Good advice I think you'd agree.

Maintain a sub 1:35 split for 500 meters, then rest for a minute, repeat 5-10 times (for the ERG). Spin bike @ 100% output for 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, repeat 10 times. Set the wheel drag high on both accounts, and force yourself into anaerobic states that demand Vo2 increases over time.

Does someone want to explain why TIME or Getty Images thought it necessary to make sure people reading this article knew beyond doubt that the woman on the elliptical machine is indeed a "Mixed race woman exercising in health club"?